My Son
by Racy Nucleoli
Summary: A rewrite of 'Final Atonement'. What if Vegeta had fallen unconscious before he could knock Trunks and Goten out? What if Trunks decided to fight Majin Buu alone?
1. Chapter 1: Memories of a Boy

A/N: Okay everybody, this was the first fanfic that I ever wrote. I've redone it so many times and, to be honest, I'm still not 100 per cent about it but I've put it up here anyway for you to (hopefully!) enjoy. I hope I've kept them in character but I'll let you guys decide for yourselves. Bear in mind that this was my first one and, since this was written, I like to think I've improved! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Hmmm...Everyone seems to do one of these, so I'll guess I'll do one too. I don't know much about copyright stuff but I do know I don't own Dragonball Z. There! That wasn't too hard!

My Son

Memories of a Boy

_This could have gone better, _thought Vegeta as Majin Buu held him to the floor in a cocoon of what resembled pink bubblegum and pounded mercilessly on Vegeta's face. It didn't help that the pink cocoon only seemed to get tighter, restricting his airflow and his ability to cry out.

Bleakly, Vegeta could only think of how Kakarot would probably have been able to stop him by now. It only heightened his anger. But, anger would do no good now, he realised as Buu rolled him to the side and began to stomp on the left side of his already tattered body. _Strategy, _he thought to himself. _How can I get out of this one?_

He began to yell as the pain began to increase. _I can't take much more of this! _He thought desperately. Vegeta tried to focus on ignoring the pain and work out a solution when suddenly he felt a dramatic increase in a further-off _ki _begin to surge upwards, heading straight for the battlefield. It was a kihe knew well. _Trunks, no! _Vegeta thought, in panic. _He can't be coming here! It's too dangerous, he'll be killed!_

_-_

It hadn't been easy for Vegeta, admitting that he cared for someone other than himself. At first, it had started with Bulma and he was so angered at the warm feeling in his chest and twisting nervousness in his stomach whenever he saw her that he even put a few thousand miles in between her and himself out in the cold and lonely depths of space. But, it could not stop his mind straying to her every few minutes, wondering if she was alright and if she was thinking of him.

In the end, though, he had accepted the truth. After all, it was only natural. He was the Prince of All Saiyans; of course he'd have to carry on the royal bloodline and, obviously, Bulma was the best one to offer him this, his perfect match, designed for each other completely.

However, after Trunks was born, Vegeta was afraid. He'd never admit it to anyone, not even to his mate, but he was frightened of his new responsibility. Oh sure, put him up against monsters like Frieza and Cell, not a problem. But ask him to change a nappy or hold his son, and the sweat starts rolling. He was afraid of being a useless father or worse, turning into his own, and so decided to distance himself from his mate and newborn child.

He thought back fondly to the turning point. It was shortly after his son from the future had returned to his own time after the Cell Games.

He'd been in the kitchen and fixing himself a snack. Bulma was in there as well with Trunks, who had been gurgling grumpily, unhappy at being contained in the high chair. It made Vegeta's heart ache to see them and pretend to want nothing to do with them. Bulma had seemingly long since gotten over Vegeta and his careless attitude towards their son but Vegeta knew that she felt exactly the same way as him. She missed him and he was angry at himself for putting her through all of it.

"Umm...Vegeta?" she'd asked him quietly.

"What?!" he snapped in reply.

"Can you watch Trunks for a sec? I just need to get something from upstairs," Bulma pleaded.

"Whatever." Vegeta turned away, uninterested and went back to his lunch.

"Thanks!" Bulma had cried, happily, disappearing down the hallway.

He picked up his finished sandwich and glanced once at his son. The boy's lavender hair was cooped up in a little blue cap with the exception of one loose strand falling at the centre of his forehead. His blue eyes were narrowed by lavender eyebrows and he wore a displeased expression on his face. The little boy raised his small arms up at his father.

"Daddy, up!" he demanded eagerly.

Vegeta almost dropped the plate in shock. He had never heard his son talk before and he knew no one else had either. Bulma had been going on for weeks about how he hadn't yet said a single word, much less formed a sort-of sentence like Vegeta had just heard.

"Daddy, up!" Trunks growled, impatient now.

Vegeta put his sandwich on the table and stalked over to the bright red high chair, smirking.

"Alright, boy. You want out? Show me what you can do first, then I'll let you out of that thing!" Vegeta said, laughing inwardly at his own foolishness.

The surprise on his face was undisguised when he looked down. Little fists clenched and a determined expression on his face, the whole room began to shake as the little boy began to power up. Glass in the cupboards was shattering and assorted kitchen utensils were falling off of the sides. Bulma was going to throw a fit. Suddenly, Trunks sighed and let his hands fall back down to his sides, power level dropping back to normal and the violent shaking ceasing.

Vegeta looked around him at the destructed kitchen. He couldn't have been happier to see such a messy sight. _This boy's got promise, _he thought, proud of his son's immense power. _At such an age, as well. Incredible! _He faced his son again, half-expecting to see him worn out and asleep from using up such a power.

Once again, he was disproved when he saw Trunks gazing up at him, although his face was softer and his eyes were drooping.

"Daddy, up," he pleaded, exhausted.

Vegeta didn't know what was guiding him, but he went with it. He unclipped the buckles restraining Trunks in the high chair and lifted him up to his chest. He drew his head back a bit in shock when Trunks leaned his own head in and rested it in the crook of Vegeta's neck. Trunks' small face was warm and Vegeta could feel his sleepy breaths tickling his neck. There it was again; that warm, fuzzy feeling, lingering in his chest. He stroked his son's back softly and listened to the rise and fall of his chest as he fell asleep.

"What the-?!" Bulma squeaked in surprise at the ruined kitchen, suddenly reappearing in the doorway. "Vegeta, what hap-?" she began. Before she could finish, however, Vegeta cut her off.

"He said his first words," he said, eyes not meeting her face as he looked around guiltily.

"Really? He did?!" Bulma began to laugh happily. Vegeta sighed in relief inside his head at being able to distract her so easily.

"Hey!" Vegeta barked suddenly, amongst Bulma's excitable laughter.

"What?" she asked, a hint of irritation present in her tone.

"He's asleep," Vegeta said, softly. He started to take his son up to his cot upstairs when he paused by Bulma in the doorway. Her mouth was slightly open in disbelief and shock when she saw her son in Vegeta's arms. Gently, so as not to jostle Trunks, he planted a small kiss on her neck and walked past her. He remembered being unable to hide his grin up the stairs.

They were a family.

Now, all that was going to be ripped apart if Trunks was killed.


	2. Chapter 2: Trunks' Decision

A/N: Alright, people. I'm back with the next chapter of 'My Son'. I know I only posted the first chapter yesterday and all but it's the end of term at school and I'm too tired to do anything else.

Before I go, I just want to say thanks to BlackPanther85 and Katarina10430 for reviewing the last chapter and to BlackPanther85 again for putting me on Story Alert. I am honestly touched because I really do not like this story and didn't expect to get any reviews at all on my first one, so thank you so much guys :). Okay, on with the story....

Trunks' Decision

The lavender-haired child mustered all the force in his body and kicked Buu straight in the head and sent him flying through numerous mountains. Trunks landed a little way away, pleased with his shot.

"Trunks!" the urgent call of his best friend, Goten, reminded him of what they were here for.

"Dad!" he rushed over to his father, who was in obvious pain.

"Oh, Dad!" Trunks cried, as he knelt beside his father.

It was much worse than he had feared.

_

Vegeta gasped out loud as the pain assaulted him. He could tell Trunks and Goten were unrolling him from his prison. The areas which had been held numb by the cocoon were suddenly flooded with pain that he hadn't even realised he'd been experiencing while Buu held him prisoner. He could feel unconsciousness tugging him under. _No! I must fight it! _He fought desperately with his head, willing his eyes to remain open. He had to tell Trunks to run, to get out of here.

His eyesight was blurry and his head was swimming, but he instantly recognised the distinctive head of his son. He tried desperately to keep awake. If he fell asleep now, there was no telling how much later it would be before he woke up. However, he knew that no matter how long it would take him to regain consciousness again, it would be too late for his son and Kakarot's other child. They had to leave!

"Trunks...my son..." Vegeta whispered, weakly.

"Dad! You're awake! Goten thought you might be dead, but I knew better!" Trunks exclaimed in happiness. Vegeta heard the clap as Trunks and Goten high-fived out of his peripheral vision.

"Trunks, you...you must leave," Vegeta murmured as black spots loomed in his eyesight. He was going to pass out, he could tell. And then, Trunks and Goten were going to be slaughtered by that monster Buu!

_What a mess, _he moaned in his mind. _How could I be so idiotic? Letting Babidi control me was the worst mistake I've ever made. Now it will be my son who has to pay for it. _No! He wouldn't allow it! He had to persuade Trunks and Goten to go!

"Dad? What's wrong? Are you in loads of pain? We'll take you to get help!" the 8-year-old announced, determinedly.

"Trunks, you have to run! Buu...he'll...he'll kill you!" Vegeta tried to shout at his distracted son but his voice was barely audible. His energy was spent; he could feel blackness enveloping him. Trunks and Goten were chattering excitedly and trying to work out a plan.

"Trunks...no..." Vegeta began slip, cursing his son. _Damn it! If I wake up and you're dead, boy, I'll wish you back just so I can kill you again for being such a fool! _

Then, he let the dark take him.

_

"Huh? Dad?" Trunks called out, shaking his father after he noticed his eyes weren't open anymore. "Dad, wake up! You can't die! Don't die, Dad! Don't! I need you, Dad! Come on! Wake up!"

"Trunks, stop! I think he's just tired! His ki hasn't faded away!" Goten said, pulling Trunks off of Vegeta before he could accidentally hurt him more.

Wiping a few shed tears, Trunks sniffed. "Yeah, I think your right. Oops," he laughed a little, in a delirious way that made Goten look at him strangely.

"Trunks? Are you okay?" Goten asked, concerned.

Trunks nodded, still staring at his unconscious father. He had never seen his dad look like this before. Bloodied and bruised, he'd reverted from Super Saiyan back to his normal form. A distinct black 'M' was plastered on his forehead; the symbol Trunks had grown to hate in such a short space of time. _Why'd you do it, Dad? Why? _Trunks wondered, when suddenly, Goten pulled him out of his own head.

"It's Buu! Look, Trunks, Buu's come back. I think he wants to fight with your dad some more!" Goten clamoured. Trunks growled as the pink blob appeared in the distance. No way was that creep hurting his dad anymore. He'd just have to settle with him.

Standing up, he faced Buu's direction. "Goten," he said, regally, looking like the young prince that he was. "Take my dad and run somewhere, okay? Get him some help."

Goten stood up at once and began hoisting Vegeta's dead weight onto his small shoulders.

"What about you?" asked Goten, fearing he already knew the answer.

"I'll fight him alone," Trunks answered, fire burning in his blue eyes. That jerk would pay for what had happened to his father.

He'd see to that.

-

A/N: Just so everyone is clear, I know Trunks is Super Saiyan for most of 'Final Atonement', but, for the purpose of this fanfic, currently he isn't. Thought I should mention that now in case anyone thinks I'm an idiot or something for not remembering that :) Okay then, until the next chapter! (Which, if my typing streak continues, will probably be tomorrow! XD )


	3. Chapter 3: Round One

A/N: Hello, everybody! I'm back with the next chapter of 'My Son' and, since reading back over the story, I have realised just how short my chapters are. Sorry about that :( They look longer in Word. For future stories, I'll try and make them longer but, for now, please enjoy Chapter 3 :)

Round One 

"Trunks, no! You can't!" Goten began to beg but Trunks interrupted him before he could finish.

"Shut up, Goten! You have to go now! Even if he does manage to beat me, my dad will be healed by then and ready to take him on again. Everyone's counting on us!" shouted Trunks, urgently, as Majin Buu started to walk towards the two boys and the unconscious Saiyan Prince.

Hopeless as it seemed, Goten couldn't argue with his best friend's logic. "Fine, I'll go. Be careful, Trunks," Goten warned as he took to the skies, clutching Vegeta.

Trunks smiled as they faded into a black dot in the sky. His dad and Goten were safe. With no distractions to hinder him, Trunks turned to face Majin Buu, who was now only a short distance away from him.

"Why your friends fly away? Maybe Buu should go bring them back..." Buu considered, mockingly. Trunks' eyes widened in horror at what might happen if he did.

He pulled his fist to his side and, turning Super Saiyan, flew straight for Majin Buu. Unprepared, Buu didn't see the attack coming and was struck in the face. Trunks hated the feeling of Buu's skin; it was like hitting a marshmallow with the consistency of bubblegum.

Buu stumbled backwards with the force of the punch and rubbed his right cheek, skin stretching back into place where it had been distorted. Small jets of steam burst into the air from the holes into his head. He wasn't hurt, but he was furious.

_Uh oh, _thought Trunks. _Looks like I pissed him off, big time. Oh well. _He grinned wickedly at the pink eyesore. "Aww, too much for you, huh, Buu?" he baited. Majin Buu ejected more steam into the air and rushed for Trunks, his own fist raised at his side.

Trunks stood his ground and raised his arm in a block as Buu went for his face. However, he wasn't prepared for Buu's next move. Buu used his other fist to punch Trunks straight in the stomach. Trunks gasped, winded and hacking up saliva. _Ow, _Trunks groaned inwardly. _Looks like bubblegum, got a fist of iron. _

With that, Buu removed both his fists as Trunks clutched at his stomach. In a flash, Buu disappeared and then reappeared behind Trunks, kicking him up into the air. If Trunks hadn't been sure that breaking your back paralysed you, he wouldn't have been surprised if the pain shooting through him in that moment had shattered his spine.

But Buu wasn't done yet. In another flash, he appeared in the air, just above Trunks. He brought both of his hands together and raised his arms above his head. With crushing force, he brought his fists down on Trunks' head and sent him spiralling back to earth.

Trunks closed his eyes as he crashed straight into the mountainside. He felt as though he'd broken every bone in his body. He stole a glance upwards to see Buu form a powerful ki blast in one hand. With a loud cry, he sent the purple beam straight for Trunks.

Trunks panicked. He'd have to do something! Pulling an arm that felt broken swiftly out of the mountainside, he fired his own yellow beam back at the monster. The two met in mid air, hissing furiously, sparks flying across the landscape.

Trunks pushed with all his might, but Buu was stronger. Trunks felt drained and his energy was fading quickly. To his horror, Buu's beam began forcing back his own. He tried to extend his but there was nothing he could do. He turned to the side and held his breath as the purple light enveloped him.

-

Lying still for a few moments, Trunks could hardly believe he was alive. Embedded in the rock, he looked over himself. He suspected that both of his legs were broken, but the pain was bearable. His skin felt singed and he was littered with numerous cuts and bruises, some bleeding worse than others.

He used his arms to slowly push himself out of the crater and floated down to the ground.

As he landed, he stumbled slightly on his broken legs and felt severely nauseated. He could feel some sort of liquid rising in his throat. He opened his mouth and coughed and was shocked at the amount of blood which spurted out of his mouth and onto the floor. His ribs ached and he was finding it difficult to breathe.

Buu landed softly, a short distance away. He surveyed the child for a moment. "What's the matter?" He asked patronisingly. "Boy no want to play with Buu anymore?"

Shaky and hunched over, Trunks had to smile. This guy was unknowingly pressing all the wrong buttons. He wouldn't lose to a sap like this. His father's life depended on it. Buu might have won Round One but...

"It's time for Round Two!" he proclaimed.

-

A/N: Grrr!!!! Oh my God, this chapter is almost cringe-worthy, I swear!!! Please be gentle with me! I know it sucks but this was the first fight scene I ever wrote. Okay, just quickly before I go, I would like to say thanks to everybody who has reviewed this story or put me on Author or Story Alert. It's really nice of you guys, since I'm new here and this is my first story and all. So, thank you! Until next time! :)

-x-


	4. Chapter 4: Cold Realisation

A/N: Hmmm...This is probably my shortest chapter ever. And in the original, it was split into two, if you can believe that!!! So guys, we are approaching the end of the story, just two more chapters to go after this one! Hooray! After this, I will begin uploading my second fanfic 'Without Warning'. It's another Vegeta/Trunks one and basically, without giving too much away, Trunks gets very ill after telling his father he hates him. Personally, I am very proud of 'Without Warning' so I can't wait to get it up here!

Right, before I get too carried away, here's Chapter 4 of 'My Son'.

Cold Realisation

Goten sped up, as though his life depended on it. Well, maybe not his, but certainly the man resting on his shoulders and his best friend. He'd been following Trunks' ki since they'd left the battlefield and it had dropped considerably. He wasn't sure how much longer Trunks could hold out for.

Vegeta grunted in pain at the sudden increase in speed. _Sorry, Mr. Vegeta,_ Goten thought, a little guiltily. _It's either flying faster or Trunks gets more hurt._ He smiled when Vegeta groaned again. It almost sounded like Vegeta was agreeing with him.

As they broke through a particularly thick cloud, Goten could see the Lookout in the distance. _Yeah! _He thought, happily. Maybe everything would work out today. His stomach felt funny as he felt another distinct drop in Trunks' ki.

He wouldn't hope for that just yet, he decided.

-

Meanwhile, the Namek, Piccolo, had been following Trunks' fight and Goten and Vegeta's progress to the Lookout carefully. At first, he had hoped Trunks might be able to buy the time the Earth's Guardian, Dende, needed to heal Vegeta. Now, he saw it was impossible. If Trunks took another blast like some of the ones he'd suffered before, it would be the end for the purple-headed punk.

Piccolo winced as Trunks' energy took another dive. _Damn it, I have to do something!_ He thought, desperately. _What if I go after Babidi? _He wondered. If all went well and Buu came to Babidi's defence, Vegeta could be healed by Dende and could fight him again and someone could rescue Trunks before they lost him completely.

_I just hope Buu listens to Babidi, _Piccolo didn't want to think about what would happen if Buu decided dishing out a beating to a child was more fun than obeying his master.

-

"Looks like you brought him to me just in time, Goten," declared Dende. He held his glowing hands over Vegeta and got to work.

Goten nodded his agreement. He felt another sickening jab in the pit of his stomach as Trunks' energy dipped once more. Even Dende broke his gaze from Vegeta and looked in the direction of the battlefield.

"It's not looking good, is it?" Dende concluded. Goten shook his head, too worried to talk. How had the day unfolded like this? It was supposed to be one of the happiest days of his life. The dead father he'd never known was back with the Living for one day to compete in the World Martial Arts Tournament. He had finally understood what everyone loved about Goku. He couldn't explain it but it was like being in the presence of an angel.

Of course, that was technically true.

He broke out of his daydream when he heard Vegeta take in a sharp breath. He was awake. "Mr. Vegeta!" he cried, happily.

"Goten? Where am I? Where is my son?!" he burst out, fiercely. He searched for Buu's and Trunks' ki's. He gasped. His son's was barely there and Buu's seemed to be increasing. Vegeta involuntarily shook - Buu was planning something for Trunks.

Without so much a word of thanks to Goten or Dende, he took off in the direction of the battlefield , praying to Kami that his son would be alive when he got there.

-

"Call your demon, wizard! You know you can't defeat me!" Piccolo called out, defiantly. He had delivered numerous punches and kicks to Babidi, being careful not to accidently kill him, and finally, the evil wizard was going to bring Buu here.

"Very well, Namek! You think you can make a mockery of me, well, I'll show you just what happens when you mess with the Great Babidi!" the head-lice resembling wizard began to laugh manically as he called in Majin Buu to rid the universe of the little green pest that stood before him. He put his fingers to his temples and reached out his mind.

_Majin Buu...Majin Buu..._Babidi felt pleased as he made it through to Majin Buu's child-like mind. _Majin Buu, I have someone here who wants to meet you. He says that you aren't as strong as him. _Babidi sensed a feeling of annoyance in Buu's mind towards the Namek that he was describing. _Yes, that's right, he also said that he was going to eat all the candy in the Universe and not save any for you! Can you believe it?_

Babidi almost laughed out loud at how easy it was to get Majin Buu riled. He felt the steam rise from Buu's head and the energy he was putting into a blast designed for a pitiful child in front of him dissipate. Majin Buu took off and began to head in the direction of Babidi and Piccolo.

_Yes, yes, come my pet, _Babidi encouraged. Babidi laughed hysterically again. "Now, you will meet your doom, Namek. Majin Buu is coming!" he cried.

Piccolo could feel Trunks' energy. It was fading fast. _Come on, kid. I've done all I can for you. It's up to you to hang now, _thought Piccolo, grimly.

-

A/N: Damn it, even with the two chapters merged together that was still too short. Sorry about that guys. I know this is becoming a problem for me. Thankfully, I have learnt better since 'My Son' so my other fanfics haven't got chapter's as short as this. I promise, I will improve!!! Right, I'm off now, because as I type this, I'm working on my B/V get-together and I freakin' love it!!! XD That's the best part about the Christmas Hols - you have so much time for everything! Laters, peeps!

-x-


	5. Chapter 5: Saviour

A/N: Hey guys. I know I said that there was going to be two more chapters but really, the last chapter was more like an epilogue anyway and I decided that, if I left it as it was, it would be ridiculously short and wouldn't pack as much of a punch. On the plus side, it means I'm finally done with this story! Yay! So big thanks to everyone who reviewed, added me to Author or Story Alert or put me on their Favourite Author or Favourite Story list. Thank you so much everyone, it really does mean a lot to me :) Okay, before this gets too sappy because that would be weird, on with the final chapter...

Saviour

Vegeta touched down on the dusty floor. He scanned the surrounding area. It certainly had taken a beating. Rocks lay askew on the floor, numerous craters opened up having disturbed their presence. One mountain had a huge crater of its own, gaping open at the side of it. He didn't like to imagine which of the two fighters here had been the one to crash into it.

Vegeta heard a raspy cough from behind him and spun round. There lay the beaten figure of his son, throwing up immeasurable amounts of blood in continuous coughs.

Vegeta sprinted over and knelt down beside the child in the blood he had coughed up. Trunks was barely conscious. He was moaning and was desperately trying not to let the tears in his eyes spill. Of course, he wasn't doing a very good job of it.

Vegeta assessed Trunks' injuries. He was a mess. Numerous cuts and blows to the head had left his usually fluffy lavender hair stained and matted. His eyes were swollen, but both were squeezed shut anyway. His face was cut and bruised. Most of the left side of his body was burnt and his arms and legs were broken, as well as numerous ribs. His clothes were torn and revealed deep wounds.

It seemed to Vegeta that he must have sustained some horrific internal injuries. Trunks was struggling to breath and blood just kept coming out of his mouth.

Vegeta ignored the wet feeling as the blood his son was vomiting leaked through the material of his clothes. Gently, he pulled his son up, trying to hold in a gasp as he felt just how truly broken Trunks felt on the inside. Trunks weakly lifted up one hand and pressed it against his father's chest, unsure of who Vegeta was since he couldn't open his bruised eyes to see.

"It's me, son," he comforted, yet in his mind, he was lost. _What do I do?_ He wanted to yell. _I should have brought Dende with me. I can't carry Trunks back to the Lookout with him like this. He'll never survive the journey. _

He hugged his son tighter, hiding in the mess of his hair. "I'm sorry, Trunks. I should have been there, should have forced you to go. I'm sorry..." Vegeta's voice trailed off into a whisper. He never used to be one to feel guilt. Never used to understand how the pain of guilt could crush you like it was crushing him right now. Hell, he'd grown up in an environment where the emotion 'Guilt' didn't exist.

Now, though, he was different. He'd changed. Cold blood no longer ran through his veins. It was warm and he liked it. Liked feeling loved and cared for. Liked caring for people back. Well, maybe not _people_ in general, but certainly his wife and son. Yet, he'd failed them. Failed to keep his son alive. He could feel Trunks slipping; losing grip on life and the guilt and pain he felt was tearing him apart.

Vegeta could no longer contain his emotions and he began to weep silently, trying to block out his son's groaning and gagging. Blood that Trunks was vomiting was soaking Vegeta's lap. He didn't care, though. He just held his son tighter, praying for someone just to stop him suffering already. If Trunks had to die here, why couldn't he just die already? Why so much endless pain?

"Vegeta, hey!" a voice cried out. Vegeta looked up in shock and quickly wiped his tears from his cheeks before anyone could suspect they'd ever been there. Goten and Dende were hurtling through the sky and landed just in front of him.

"You took off so fast, Vegeta. I never thought we'd be able to catch up!" admitted Dende. "Whoa, he's in really rough shape, I'll start right now, if I may." Vegeta leaned back slightly so his head wouldn't obscure Dende's view of Trunks. He turned his head away from Trunks who was now gasping and twitching involuntarily.

He looked up at Goten, who was staring at Trunks in obvious disbelief. His mouth hung open as he took in Trunks' appearance. Tears formed on the edge of his eyes. How could someone do this? It just wasn't right. Goten shook his head in horror, as if trying to shake away these images of Trunks that were now burned on his brain.

"There, that should do it," Dende concluded. Vegeta looked down. His son looked healed, but he still wasn't awake.

"Why hasn't he woken up?" wondered Goten aloud, asking the very question that Vegeta himself had been about to ask.

"He's just a child and his injuries were extensive. I literally had to bring him back from Death's Door. He's healed but he's still weak. Just the wonders of a good night's sleep are all he needs now. If you'd like, he can recuperate at the Lookout. We have plenty of rooms for him to stay in. You too, Goten," said Dende, gesturing to Goten also.

Vegeta nodded his approval and gathered up his son in his arms. He strode forward and took off for the Lookout.

"Guess it's back we go," Goten laughed. He did feel tired. Lugging Vegeta around had taken it out of him. All the same, it was nice to laugh again now that the pressure of Trunks was taken care of.

Dende and Goten rose up and followed Vegeta and Trunks to the Lookout.

-

Vegeta lay Trunks down on the bed and covered him with the blanket. He sat next to him and stared at him for a while, just letting emotions flow through his head. Pride, guilt, love, anger....

He'd had an idea on the way back to the Lookout. An idea that, he realised, would rid the world of Buu, but also himself. He was going to sacrifice himself in a blast that not even Buu could survive.

He didn't care, though, and that surprised him. There was once a time when he would have laughed at dying to save someone weaker than him, relative or not. His whole perspective had changed today.

He wasn't dying to save someone weaker. He was dying to save the people he cared about. His son, his wife. He saw how eagerly young Trunks threw himself into the battle so that Dende would have the chance to heal Vegeta.

Well, now, it was Vegeta's turn.

Closing his eyes momentarily to hold back the moisture that threatened to overtake them, he bent forward and kissed Trunks on the forehead.

"Never doubt that I loved you, Trunks. Ever," Vegeta whispered quietly in his son's ear.

He got up and stood in the doorway of the room, getting one last look.

Eventually, he turned to leave, but not before uttering...

"Farewell, my son."

-

A/N: Well, there you have it, folks! The end of 'My Son', thank God! And, just so everyone is clear, I know I didn't close up Piccolo's fight with Buu that he had in the earlier chapters. That is just one of the reasons why I hate this fanfic. Too many loose ends, among other things...

Someday, I might come back to this fanfic and rectify it's mistakes and develop it a bit more, but for now, I'm content to leave it as it is. However, if you do spot any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors I've missed, please let me know so I can fix it. I'm such a perfectionist and this fanfic is bad enough as it is without having amateur mistakes riddled throughout it. Of course, please remember I do spell things the English way before you write me a review saying I've added an extra 'u' or something! XD

Okay, with the exception of the B/V get-together I am currently writing in Word, I'm going to take a break from fanfiction for a couple of days. I don't know if I'll have the first chapter of 'Without Warning' up before Christmas, so if I don't, have a really good Christmas guys!

-x-


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